Mississippi uper black creek watershed initiative signup announced

The United States Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is currently accepting applications for the Upper Black Creek Watershed Initiative through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

The Upper Black Creek Watershed Initiative project is part of the Joint Landscape Restoration partnership investing $1.76 million in Mississippi to help mitigate wildfire threats to communities and landowners. The project will also assist to improve wildlife habitat for at-risk species and protect water quality and supply throughout the area.

NRCS and the United States Forest Service (USFS) are partnering to improve the health and resiliency of the forest ecosystems where public and private lands meet. They will place priority on creating watershed health and landscapes with the additional funding resources.

The south Mississippi counties that are eligible include all or parts of the following counties: Jefferson Davis, Marion, Lamar, Forrest, Perry, Pearl River, Stone, George and Jackson.

"NRCS is proud to partner with the USFS to provide financial assistance to eligible landowners and operators to address the resource concerns in the Upper Black Creek Watershed," stated Kurt Readus, state conservationist for Mississippi. "The funding for FY 2015 is in addition to the $1.03 million we received in FY 2014."

Landowners and producers interested in participating in the Upper Black Creek Watershed Initiative may apply at their local USDA Service Center / NRCS office. This is a continuous signup however only applications received by April 17, 2015 will be considered in the first ranking pool for financial assistance designed to address critical natural resource concerns.

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